


in other words, I love you

by preach_electric



Category: Spies Are Forever - Talkfine/Tin Can Brothers
Genre: Curtwen, Fluff, I had a stressful day and wanted my boys to be Softe, M/M, SO VERY GAY, pure fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-25
Updated: 2019-06-25
Packaged: 2020-05-19 05:56:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,718
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19350865
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/preach_electric/pseuds/preach_electric
Summary: Curt and Owen deserve a break.





	in other words, I love you

**Author's Note:**

> shout out to the saf discord, love u idiots xoxo
> 
> also the formatting fucked up like halfway through but I Can Not Be Bothered to fix it, so lemme just say from the bottom of my heart, whoopsie doodles

“Mega.” Cynthia’s usually-piercing-but-currently-approving voice rang through the stale air of her office. “Dare I say it- I’m impressed.”

Curt’s face lit up. “ _Really?_ I-”

“Don’t interrupt.” She snapped her fingers, eyeing Curt for just a moment before lowering herself into the lumpy chair next to her desk. 

She really had to look into replacing that.

Fishing a cigarette from her breast pocket, she placed it between her lips and took her time to light it, still eyeing Curt. 

Her feet were suddenly resting on the desktop, one crossed over the other and showing off her ruby red heels. She took a few puffs before sighing the smoke out, holding the cigarette between her fingers with perfectly polished nails.

Curt was sat silent through the entire practice, wanting to cough the smoke away but too hesitant in fear of appearing impolite. Instead, he settled on shifting in his seat and adjusting his suit jacket, subtly wafting some of the vapour away.

The two of them sat soundlessly across from each other, Cynthia occasionally inhaling from her cigarette and Curt awkwardly waiting for a prompt to begin talking. Several times did it look like Cynthia was about to start some long spiel or rant (depending on her current mood, which was something no one could ever figure out until she opened her mouth), but silent she remained. 

Eventually, she threw down the cigarette in her ashtray and crossed her arms, giving Curt a once over. Curt bit the bullet and opened his mouth to speak.

“So-”

“ _Susan. _”__

__Susan came hurrying through the door, holding a beige file that looked surprisingly empty. They shut the door behind them and stood at Cynthia’s side, awaiting further instruction. Cynthia, eyes still on Curt, just held out her hand until she was given the file._ _

__Leaning forward, she pushed the file across her desk, stopping just as it was about to fall off the other side. Curt assumed this was her strange way of giving him permission to take it, so hesitantly placed it on his lap._ _

__“Mega. As much as it pains me to say it, you did-” She stewed over her words for a second. “Well. You did well. You and Owen make one heck of a team, huh.”_ _

__“Yes?” It wasn’t a question, but he responded anyway._ _

__“Anyway, the mission was a success, we dissolved the bomb threat, and the President of Moldova wants to thank you personally by giving you access to his private yacht, as well as his- how do I put this.” She cleared her throat. “ _Lady acquaintances._ ” _ _

__Curt flushed red, mouth dropping open._ _

__“Obviously, I told him ‘no, thank you’, and that you’d rather shove a pipe bomb up your ass, but he insisted that he give you both something as a token of his thanks. However, each subsequent offer _still_ involved his entourage of personal prostitutes, so we agreed that I would just,” She sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. “Give you both time off.”_ _

__She sat up from her seat and moved to lean on her desk in front of Curt, eyes not showing even a glimpse of emotion._ _

__“Losing two of my best agents-”_ _

__“Owen doesn’t work for you.” Curt pointed out, his smile much too smug for Cynthia’s liking._ _

__“Did I ask for your opinion, Mega?” Curt stayed silent, grin still plastered over his face. “That’s what I thought- and wipe that look off your face, shit stain. Now, losing two of _the best agents available_ is less than ideal right now considering the situation this shit show of a country is in, but a promise is a promise- and if the President finds out I don’t hold on my end of the bargain he might take up the pipe bomb up the ass offer.”_ _

__Opening the file Curt had been clutching the entire time, he saw there was a single sheet of paper inside:_ _

____**LEAVE OF ABSENCE GRANTED TO AGENTS** Mega, Curt **AND** Carvour, Owen **FOR A PERIOD OF** [5] days  
**SIGNED**  
Houston, Cynthia **AND** Brezhnev, Leonid 

__It was a waste of paper, if you asked Curt._ _

__“Five days, Mega.” Cynthia gave Susan the okay to leave her office. “Five days to do whatever the fuck you want. I suggest using it wisely- you know time off in this career is as rare as a smile blooming on my face.”_ _

__“Thank you, Cynthia-”_ _

__“Get out of my office.”_ _

__\---------_ _

__“Yes, Owen, I know! Five days- we can do whatever we want. D’you know how long it’s been since we’ve spent time together on something other than work? Jeez, _I_ can’t even remember.” Curt leant against the wall next to the payphone, fingering the wire as he racked through his memory. “God, probably that night we spent in Paris after that attack on the Eiffel Tower.”_ _

__“I remember, we jumped into the Seine at God knows what time in the morning-” Curt could hear Owen’s grin through the phone, a soft chuckle slicing his sentence in half. “I’m surprised we didn’t get caught, you were wailing like a drowned cat, love.”_ _

__“It was _cold_ , you asshole!” Curt laughed with his entire body, head thrown back. “It was October, swimming in a river was the literal worst idea we could’ve had.”_ _

__“Ha- the worst idea _you_ could’ve had. I specifically remember you cannonball-ing in and begging me to follow suit.”_ _

__“Oh, shut up. You had fun didn’t you?” Curt smirked, watching his breath condense in the cool evening air in front of him._ _

__“Hmm. I can neither confirm or deny that.” Curt heard Owen sigh and the rustle of fabric through the crackling phone. “When’s your flight, love?”_ _

__“At five, tomorrow morning. I’m meeting you at the hotel, right?”_ _

__“Mhmm. I’ve booked a train for us already, so don’t worry about that-” A yawn escaped Owen, exhaustion creeping into his voice._ _

__“It’s gotta be like 2 AM for you Owen, you should get some sleep.”_ _

__“And why on earth would I do that when I can talk to you, love?” His words were slurred as if he was tipsy, and another sigh came through the phone._ _

___He must be lying in bed_ , Curt thought. _What I’d give to be next to him.__ _

__“I miss you.” Curt’s voice cut through the silence, almost too quiet for Owen to hear._ _

__“I miss you too, love. Only a few more hours.”_ _

__Curt just hummed in agreement. “Sleep. It’s late.”_ _

__“I’ll see you tomorrow?”_ _

__“You know it. C’mon, you can’t miss out on any of that precious beauty sleep.”_ _

__“Goodnight, Curt.” Owen chuckled through the phone._ _

__“Goodnight, Owen.”_ _

__Curt heard the other man blow a kiss before the phone went silent. Placing it back on its holder, he let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding and ran a hand through his hair._ _

__Only a few more hours._ _

__\---------_ _

__The flight over to London was as hellish as expected- shrieking babies, over curious children, and elderly couples with no regard for personal space surrounding him. Curt _intended_ to spend the flight reading a book Barb had suggested to him (‘ _Fahrenheit 451_ ’), but ended up caring for a stressed mother’s baby that he was sure was planning world domination. _ _

__Guess the reading would have to wait._ _

__After escaping customs and leaving the airport with his one bag in hand, he set off in search for a taxi. Once he managed to bag one, he gave the driver the address of the hotel Owen was currently staying in and took a moment to adjust the watch on his wrist. Glancing at the clock near the steering wheel, he moved the small hands of the watch until it read 18:25._ _

__The drive to the hotel was reasonably short, Curt finding himself in a London sans traffic for once. Paying the driver- as well as giving him a decent tip- Curt slung his bag over his shoulder and made his way into the cheap looking agency-assigned hotel._ _

__His eyes were darting around, desperately searching for any sign of Owen in the hotel lobby. Several tall men with chocolate hair raised Curt’s heart rate, but each to no avail._ _

___He said he would_ be here. _Where is the bastard?__ _

__After another once over of the lobby with no success, Curt hiked his bag up his shoulder and made a B line to the front desk._ _

__“Hi.” Curt gave the receptionist his best grin, setting his bag down between his legs. “I’m looking for someone, do you think you could help me?”_ _

__“Of course, Sir.” The man replied, giving Curt all of his attention. “Could I have a name?”_ _

__“Owe-”_ _

__“Owen Carvour.” A voice interrupted behind Curt. “I do believe he’s found me, but thank you ever so much for your help.”_ _

__“ _Owen_ ,” Curt’s head whipped around. “Jeez, where were you?” _ _

__“Just running a little late, love. Do thank this kind man, though.” He gestured to the receptionist, who was standing behind the desk awkwardly waiting for the two to leave._ _

__“Yeah- thanks.” Curt shot another smile to the man before picking up his bag once more and moving away from the desk._ _

__“Americans.” Owen rolled his eyes at the receptionist, who politely laughed, before following after Curt. “How was the flight, love?”_ _

__“ _God_ , it was like someone condensed all of Hell into a metal tube- added some wasps for good measure- shook the whole thing up, then put me inside and sent it off flying for a million hours.”_ _

__“Ever the colourful descriptions,” Owen chuckled, placing his hand on the small of Curt’s back as the two left the hotel. “So you didn’t have a good time, I take it?”_ _

__Curt just glared at Owen as a reply._ _

__“What about you, huh? Being stuck in a hotel for days can’t be the most exciting thing.”_ _

__“I don’t know, the evening entertainment was reasonably decent.” Owen glanced left and right before leading the two across the road. “An accordian player, one night. She must’ve been nearing 200 years old, but nothing was going to stop the old dear from performing.”_ _

__“Shoulda joined her,” Curt laughed, smiling up at Owen. “You coulda done a mean duet- had the whole hotel screaming ‘ _encore!_ ’”_ _

__“Next time, love. Next time.”_ _

__They walked through the streets of London to the nearest train station, the darkness of British evenings concealing them enough so that they could loosely hold hands. The two of them swapped stories of events since they last saw each other on the Moldova mission, laughing and smiling as they reminisced._ _

__Entering the station, there were only a handful of departures left for the evening, and the usual crowds of people were barely there. Digging into his jacket pocket, Owen revealed two small paper tickets and handed one to Curt. Smiling, he took Curt’s bag off him and threw it over his own shoulder, then gestured for Curt to lead the way._ _

__Curt just smiled softly in return before looking at his ticket and finding the correct platform._ _

__Their carriage was mostly empty, so they chose a secluded corner to sit together and got as comfortable as they could on an economy train. Their journey wasn’t long- 2 hours at most- and the train was due to depart at any minute._ _

__“Owen?” Curt’s head was leaning on the window, watching the mostly empty station._ _

__“Mmm?” Owen was penning something in his journal, hand moving quickly across the page as he wrote in a perfect cursive font._ _

__“Could you get my bag?” He leaned his head to look at the other man. “There’s a book I wanna start.”_ _

__Owen just nodded before standing up, fishing around in Curt’s bag on the overhead shelves. He let out a small ‘ _aha!_ ’ when he found it, and passed it to Curt with a grin. The two settled down as Curt finally opened his book, resting his head on Owen’s shoulder._ _

__“ _It was a pleasure to burn._ ”..._ _

__\---------_ _

__After the train ride and a short taxi ride from the station, the two men found themselves at Bell Wharf Beach. The setting sun cast a warm orange glow on everything the light could touch and practically made Curt’s eyes sparkle, and Owen would look to him, caress his face, and tell him how beautiful he looked if it weren’t for the dog walker passing nearby._ _

__“Come on, love.” Owen placed his hand at the small of Curt’s back again. “Only so much light left of the day.”_ _

__Curt just smiled up at him with his soft hazel eyes and mouthed, ‘ _I love you_ ’._ _

__“And I you.”_ _

__The two men set off down the beach, careful not to fall over any rocks or step on any lost crabs, until they reached the sea._ _

__There was no anger in the water, only small waves rolling over each other and reaching a gentle crescendo as they fell at the men’s feet, receding back into the sea and starting the whole process again._ _

__They stood in silence for a moment, appreciating the cool evening air and the calmness surrounding them, peace settling in their hearts and minds as they unwinded from the past months’ anxieties._ _

__The beach was now empty._ _

__Just the two of them, able to do whatever they wanted, without fear of judgement._ _

__Owen slipped his hand into Curt’s, and the other laced their fingers together, rubbing a thumb over the worn skin._ _

__Just the two of them._ _

__Alone._ _

__Owen’s other hand caressed Curt’s cheek before hooking a finger gently under his chin. Lifting him up slightly, he leant down and placed a soft kiss on Curt’s lips, the warmth meeting him a stark contrast to the wind whipping around them._ _

__He heard Curt let out a peaceful sigh and he closed his eyes, a feeling of serenity washing over him. He felt Curt’s hand cup his cheek before brushing a lock of hair behind his ear._ _

__“It’s getting long.”_ _

__“Hmm?” Owen opened his eyes again, smiling down at Curt._ _

__“Your hair. It’s getting long.”_ _

__“Is that a bad thing?” Owen just chuckled, running his fingers through Curt’s hair. Curt leaned into the touch, eyes fluttering shut for just a moment._ _

__“It’s nice.” He settled on, moving forward and leaning into Owen’s chest._ _

__Just the two of them._ _

__Alone._ _

__“You’re beautiful.” Owen’s voice cut through the silence once again. “You’re so _damn_ beautiful; did you know that?”_ _

__“Owen..” Curt pressed his face further into his chest, a gentle flush most likely blooming on his cheeks._ _

__“What? It’s true, anyone with eyes can see.” Owen giggled. _Giggled_. One of the world’s greatest spies, giggling. That’s one for the books._ _

__“You’re not too bad looking yourself.”_ _

__“You flatter me, love.”_ _

__Curt just rolled his eyes._ _

__“C’mon, ‘ _only so much light left of the day_ ’.” Curt grinned at Owen, pulling away and searching for something in the sand._ _

__“You know, you may be one of the greatest spies in the world, but that God awful British accent of yours definitely isn’t contributing to that title.”_ _

__Owen just watched Curt for a moment, the other man kneeling down in the sand, hands rifling through small piles of rocks._ _

__“What, pray tell, are you doing, love?”_ _

__“Finding the perfect pebble.”_ _

__“Dare I ask why?”_ _

__“Ask away.”_ _

__Owen folded his arms, an eyebrow furrowing as he smirked down at Curt._ _

__“You’re lucky I love you- you can be insufferable sometimes.”_ _

__Curt just looked up at Owen and playfully fluttered his eyelashes before going back to searching._ _

__“I’m finding the perfect pebble _because_...” He grinned as he held a small pile of smooth, flat rocks up for Owen to see. “We’re gonna go stone skipping.”_ _

__Owen helped Curt up off the ground and dusted the sand off his knees, taking a few of the rocks from Curt. “You do realise I’ve never skipped a stone before, right, love?”_ _

__Curt looked like someone had just kicked a puppy in front of him._ _

__“ _WHAT?_ ”_ _

__“You heard me. I’m afraid the Boy Scouts failed me there.”_ _

__“Well we’re changing that right now. C’mon, watch me first.”_ _

__He watched Curt select ‘the perfect pebble’ and get into position by the water, holding the stone with ease and snapping his wrist as it flew out of his grip, the stone skimming with ease across the water with perfection that must’ve come from years of practice as a child._ _

__Curt turned around and grinned smugly, taking a proud bow and awaiting applause._ _

__“That’s never going to happen.”_ _

__“C’mon, Owen, it’s not that hard.” Curt was laughing with his entire body as he moved to take the pile of pebbles out of Owen’s grip. “Choose a stone and get skipping.”_ _

__Owen frowned as he looked at the pile of rocks, not having a clue as to what constitutes ‘the perfect pebble’. He chose one that looked similar to the one Curt just used, and looked to him for approval. Curt just grinned and gestured for him to take his place on the water edge._ _

__Owen tried to replicate Curt’s stance, holding the stone between his fingers hesitantly. He gave one last glance to Curt, who gave him a thumbs up, then threw the stone._ _

__It flew a few metres before hitting the surface of the water.._ _

__And with a _plop_ it sunk in._ _

__Owen heard a snort from behind him and swung round to face a guilty looking Curt trying to suppress laughter._ _

__“That- that was- a _really_ good attempt, babe-” You could see the concentration on Curt’s face as he tried not to wheeze. _ _

__Owen stared at him blankly._ _

__“Piss off.”_ _

__“No, look! Here, I’ll show you.” Curt chose another pebble from their pile and put the rest in his pocket. Giving Owen the stone, he stood next to him and got into his stance. “You wanna stand up straight but at a slight angle to the water, okay? Like this.”_ _

__He watched Owen copy him, and nudged him into place properly before giving him an approving smile. “Perfect. You wanna stay like that the entire time, don’t move while you’re throwing it.”_ _

__“Got it.” Owen nodded, listening closely to Curt’s instruction._ _

__“When you’re holding it, use your thumb, middle, and index finger, okay? Your thumb goes on top and your index one wants to hook along the edge of the stone, like this.”_ _

__Curt moved Owen’s fingers until he was gripping the rock perfectly, Owen paying close attention to the feel of Curt’s hand on his._ _

__“When you throw it, throw down and out at the same time. Focus on throwing it fast, not hard. You need speed for it to bounce back off the water, right?”_ _

__“Sure.” Owen nodded, trying his best to heed the instructions given._ _

__“Good.” Curt smiled. “Try and make it spin as you let it go- flick your wrist hard and that should work- and make sure the stone hits the water parallel to the surface.”_ _

__“This is a lot of instructions.”_ _

__“Owen, if ten year olds can do it, I’m sure you can learn too.”_ _

__“Right.” Owen went through everything in his head once more. “Here we go.”_ _

__Curt gave him a quick peck on the cheek, grinning at him as he stood back._ _

__“For good luck.”_ _

__Owen just smirked, putting his focus back on the rock._ _

__He drew his arm back, adjusted his grip, then flung the rock forward, snapping his wrist as he let it go._ _

___Plop._ _ _

__“I give up,” Owen laughed, holding his hands up in defeat. “This is never going to work.”_ _

__“C’mon, one more try?” Curt looked up at him with the best puppy eyes he could muster. “For me?”_ _

__Owen sighed and rolled his eyes, but stuck his hand out for a rock all the same._ _

__“One more.”_ _

__Curt grinned as he took another pebble out of his pocket, handing it to Owen and chucking the rest back on the sand._ _

__Just the two of them._ _

__Alone._ _

__Suddenly, Curt was standing directly behind Owen and wrapping his arms around his middle._ _

__“This might work.”_ _

__He adjusted Owen’s stance, making his stand up straighter and leaning him forward slightly. One arm stayed wrapped around his waist as the other crept up to Owen’s hand, wrapping his fingers perfectly around the rock._ _

__Curt pressed a soft kiss to Owen’s neck, making the other man shiver. Whether it was because of the feeling of Curt’s touch or the brisk evening wind, nobody had to know._ _

__With Curt flush against Owen’s back, he felt he could do anything._ _

__“Ready, doll?”_ _

__“As I’ll ever be.”_ _

__Curt’s arm lead the way, drawing Owen’s back before throwing it forward and snapping their wrists, making the stone spin through the air._ _

__A second passed before it hit the surface of the water.._ _

__Then bounced back up!_ _

__And then again!_ _

__And again!_ _

__Curt fist bumped the air as Owen threw both arms up in celebration, the two of them whooping and cheering as the stone _plopped_ into the water after it’s fourth skip._ _

__“Curt!”_ _

__“Owen!”_ _

__They yelled at the same time._ _

__They both just grinned at each other before erupting into laughter._ _

__“I never thought a stone could bring me so much joy, love, but look at me now.”_ _

__“God, I love you _so_ much, you big idiot.”_ _

__“ _Your_ big idiot.”_ _

__Curt just cupped his face and brought him down for a kiss, smiling and laughing with the other man._ _

__Not long after, the two settled on walking barefoot along the now barely lit beach hand in hand, Curt’s bag over Owen’s shoulder and their shoes and socks in hand._ _

__Curt rested his head on Owen’s shoulder as they walked in comfortable silence, the two of them knowing what the other would be saying if they spoke._ _

__They walked along the beachfront until they ran out of sand to walk on, and Curt’s watch told him it was nearly 1AM._ _

__The B &B they’d be staying at was a short distance away from the beach, and they wordlessly made their way to their temporary home._ _

__————-_ _

__Lying in bed that night, tucked into Owen’s chest and being held by his strong arms, Cynthia’s words rang through his head._ _

___”Five days to do whatever the fuck you want. I suggest using it wisely.”_ _ _

__And oh, was he using it wisely._ _

__This is exactly where he wanted to be, and he wouldn’t change it for the world._ _


End file.
